For this nostalgic dessert, a génoise cake is baked and spread with raspberry jam and a thick layer of whipped cream before being rolled into a log. If you’ve never made a rolled cake before, you are in for a surprise: the génoise sheet cake will readily roll up without the slightest resistance (and any slight rips or tears will be concealed with a generous dusting of confectioners’ sugar). It’s so simple to prepare and so utterly delicious to eat, it’s a wonder it ever went out of style. Make it once or twice and you might be inspired to bring it back into fashion.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
For cake
For filling
For finishing
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare oven and baking sheet Heat oven to 450°F, with rack in bottom half. Coat a 12 1/2 by 17 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper; coat with cooking spray. Dust with flour, and tap out excess.
Step 2
Combine dry ingredients Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl.
Step 3
Combine eggs and sugar Bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over (not in) simmering water, whisk eggs, yolks, and granulated sugar until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Raise speed to high; beat until mixture is pale and thick, about 4 minutes more.
Step 4
Add dry ingredients Sift flour mixture over egg mixture; using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold. When almost incorporated, pour melted butter down side of bowl; gently fold to combine.
Step 5
Bake Using an offset spatula, spread batter evenly into prepared sheet. Bake cake until golden brown and springy to the touch, 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, dust a clean kitchen towel with confectioners’ sugar. Run a knife around sides of cake. Invert onto prepared towel, and remove parchment.
Step 6
Roll into a log and cool While the sheet cake is still warm, gently roll, starting from one short side, into a log, incorporating the kitchen towel. Let the cake cool completely, rolled. (This will give the cake a “shape memory,” so it will be easier to roll again with filling.)
Step 7
Fill cake and reroll Unroll cake. Spread with jam, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. In a mixing bowl with a whisk or electric mixer, whip cream until soft peaks form; spread evenly over jam with an offset spatula. Roll cake to enclose filling (without towel), starting at a short end. Wrap the towel around rolled cake, securing the clips (or clothes pins) to help retain the shape.
Step 8
Chill and serve Refrigerate cake 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours). Dust with confectioners’ sugar, cut into slices with a serrated knife, and serve.
Ingredients
Step 9
For the most tender crumb, use cake flour; it’s a very fine flour made entirely from soft wheat (all-purpose flour, by contrast, is made from a blend of hard and soft wheats).
